The RZ Draft Show Presents: The Fab Five
by kohkaynerain | 4 years ago | 0 Comments
Season 66 of Redzone is shaping up to be one for the history books, even while the smell of fireworks is still in the air following the Cardinals Super Bowl victory. For the uninitiated or those who just don’t pay attention, the upcoming draft class is STACKED with talent at the quarterback position, with SIX quarterbacks having first round projections. With a few QB needy teams selecting in the early part of the first round, we may very well be seeing the future of Redzone being drafted today. Here we’ll take a look at the top five of those quarterbacks eligible for the draft, what they bring to the league and what franchise would be the best fit for each.
1. Nathan Sheldon, LSU - Sheldon is, in my opinion, the best quarterback AND prospect in this draft and is almost guaranteed to be the face of RZ in just a few years. Scouts love his arm, and his pocket presence is unmatched when compared to his peers in the class. That being said, I could absolutely see him falling to pick 4 landing in Green Bay. The reason? Sheldon will enter the draft at 23 years old, the oldest of the bunch, and teams will be wary of having less time for him to develop. I believe he is the most RZ ready day one, but there is a chance other QBs could surpass him down the road.
Pro Comp: Matt Stafford
Best Fit: New York Jets - The Jets made a set of moves this offseason that signifies very clearly that they will be taking their QB of the future tomorrow. The first was a trade sending QB Sam Darnold to the New Orleans Saints, then using picks acquired in that trade to move up to #2 overall, taking the place of the Bengals. Coach Moji is reloading his roster, but Sheldon is a quarterback that will be able to keep the Jets in playoff contention for the foreseeable future.
2. Stanley Fredrickson, FSU - Hot take, prediction, whatever you want to call it: Stanley Fredrickson will be the first quarterback and player taken in the 65th Redzone draft. His combine was outstanding, with scouts admiring the velocity on his short and intermediate throws. The welcome surprise: the kid has WHEELS. Though known in college for being a pocket quarterback, Fredrickson secured the second best 40 yard dash time among QBs at the combine with an official time of 4.61 seconds. Teams will be chomping at the bit to land a guy like this, but……
Best Fit: Detroit Lions - Detroit has the first overall pick in this draft, and I can’t see them going in any other direction than Fredrickson. The Tevin Wofford experiment has come to a fizzling end and the Lions landed the worst record in the league, still finishing only 4 games out of first place in the NFC North. Saying the division is up for grabs is an understatement, and a player with the upside of Fredrickson could be enough to change the landscape.
Pro Comp: Baker Mayfield
3. Greg Harris, USF - I cannot wait to see Greg Harris in Redzone. I mean that. Harris is not only known for having a cannon, but was one of the most exciting players in college football due to his ability to improvise and extend plays. There are a few caveats though, that may scare teams away, causing him to fall in the first round. Exciting as he may be, there were concerns during the season regarding his accuracy and his ability to make necessary throws downfield. He could’ve attempted to quell those concerns, but he was the only quarterback that opted out of the RZ combine this year.
Pro Comp: Deshaun Watson
Best Fit: Green Bay Packers - The Packers won a weak NFC North last season while having the 27th best scoring offense (19ppg) and finishing 21st in yards per game. That has to change if they want to continue being successful in the division, and Harris is dynamic enough to reinvigorate the offense. High risk, high reward here, but with the layout of the NFCN, I think Harris keeps the scales tipped in favor of GB.
4. Glenn Norton, Virginia Tech - The worst thing that can be said about Norton is that he isn’t exciting. But the thing that matters? He gets the job done, and he can win games. He has a solid arm, but due to the offense at Virginia Tech, was not forced to throw the ball downfield often. His technique will need some work at the pro level, as will his accuracy, but there is no doubt Norton is a project worth taking on.
Pro Comp: Sam Darnold
Best Fit: Washington Football Team - Though it’s been broadcast a little more with other teams, the WFT is very much in need of a franchise quarterback. At the time of writing, Marcus Mariota is the lone QB on the roster, and undoubtedly is not the answer for that team. Coach Brett Snyder is a great option to help shape and mold Norton’s career, while also getting the most out of him year one. If Norton is available at pick #6, expect to see him in burgundy and gold next year.
5. Gabe Peek, Ole Miss - Now this is an interesting prospect. Gabe Peek broke the mold of what we see from your typical Ole Miss quarterback, but will it be enough for a day one selection? There are questions about his decision making when improvising outside of the pocket, as well as his accuracy. What could help though, is his combine performance. Peek posted the highest marks for QBs in the 40 yard dash (4.47 seconds), vertical jump (32.9 in), 3 cone drill (6.91 sec) and 20 yard shuttle (4.19 sec). So the question is, can athleticism make up the deficit of truly raw talent?
Pro Comp: Kyler Murray
Best Fit: New York Giants - The Giants currently have Daniel Jones as the only QB in the room, and at 27 years old it's become more than clear he should not be the team’s answer moving forward. Winning just 16 games in 4 years is unacceptable for this franchise and something needs to be done to change the culture in New York.